ok, ive had it. i thought it would pass but it hasnt. every time the front tires roll over a speed bump, sounds great, then the rear tires roll over it, THUMP. i thought it was the new springs just squeaking untill they would wear in, but i think its a bigger problem than that. if anyone has had this problem or knows what to do PLEASE tell me what to do. i know im going to have to take it back to the dealer but i want to know what im in for. its getting to a point where when i see a speed bump i have to come to a complete stop before rolling over it. very sad. -scott

 

Dude, ya got a brand new ride w/ no mods. Roll into the dealer tomorrow and tell him to get his wrench out. Probably something easy.

 

i have the same problem...dealership cant find sh*t and
the .org couldnt help me either.

 

I'm assuming you've both tried removing the spare and all adjacent stuff???

Is there any way to put the back seats down and have a friend (a really good friend I'd guess) crawl back there while you hit bumps so he can see where the noise is coming from?

 

I have the same problem with my 2k2 , let me know what the dealer finds out!!

 

i assume its just the gas tank or exhaust jumping up and down because of a loose bolt. i hope at least... i will try takin out the spare and crap ...but damn im glad its still waaaay under warranty with no mods at all

 

They all sound like that..it something with the suspension design....something with the rear beam... Hopefully somone who remembers will chime in to this thread..its been discussed b4

 

yeah, i noticed that 2, the front end goes over speed bumps fine, but the back is embarrasing. its loud and makes a thump, i have no real mods, and if you say it could be the gas tank, could this be why my service engine soon light came on?becasue i went over a speed bump fast, and about 30 min later the light came on.

 

the rear suspension is wayyy outdated. non-indepedent suspension

 

All new Maximas make that "Thump" when you go over a speed bump. Its the result of the multi-link rear suspension. Its something you have to live with.

 

Although I think that what happened to your Max was $hitty, you don't need to be hatin' on our rides, go to the A4 forum if you want to vent, you'll get no sympathy here.

 

I have the same problem. Mine is especially bad while turning over bumps.

 

same problem here, I dread the speed bumps at this point!! It also feels like when Im going over certain bumps in the road the whole car kinda feels like its rattling underneath! Its weird cause it doesnt happen all the time, (the speed bump thing does)I gotta take mine to the dealer soon for 6k mile check, does anyone have any suggestions of things I can ask them to look at or is that just the way it is???

 

A beam suspension is wayyy outdated, but a Multi-Link Rear Beam Suspension is not as old, and as far as beam suspensions go - it's really quite advanced.

Get your facts straight.

 

Would the RSB eliminate this?

 

Same thing happenes on my 2002 Maxima.
It is the suspension design. I hate it too, but what can you do.

 

I can't say, for one thing i haven't even experienced the thumping mentioned in this thread. And i've gone through every possible speedbump and pothole imaginabile here in Houston.

Even accidentally gone over a speedbump at 40mph (ouch!). I was afraid i might have broken something in there.

 

Guys,

I went throught this on my 2K 5 spd when it was 6 months old. Its the shocks. My symptoms were that whenever the right read wheel would go over a bump at low speed, I would heard a definite thump.

Took me 4 months to convince the dealership there was an issue. At first they thought it had something to do with the brake calipers, then they tried telling me it was "normal".

I finally got the service manager in the car with me and reproduced the sound. He finally agreed that it was not "normal".

He called Nissan, they told him to replace the shocks, he did, and the sound went away.

 

Nope. I have KYB AGX's. The noise STARTED when I replaced the shocks.

 

I had a similar sounding problem on my 2K3 SE that was driving me nuts. The dealer found the muffler was hitting the heat shield. He was able to move the heat shield over enough to allow proper spacing. I have not had any rear suspension noise since he did that over a month ago.

 

You have checked if the spare tire was loose?? If OK, I like the answer regarding the exhaust system. Also, have a friend drive you repeatedly over speed bumps while you are in the back seat...you should probably take out the rear seat base first. Getting your ears closer to the problem is something the dealer won't do.
Bob

 

when mine was doing it it was far worse with someone in the back seat, thats why I originally thought it was suspension. I made the mechanic go for a drive with me to show him how brutal it sounded. once he heard the noise he wouldn't give the car back till he found it. It took him about four hours to figure out what was causing it.

 

It's the solid beam rear axle design. Same problem is inherent in older RWD solid axle vehicles. Hard to dial it out.

 

ok well i took out the spare, carpet, tools, and false floor. then went over a decent speed bump. the main thump went away, but still is not totally fixed. however this new sound is something that i can live with and does not make me cringe. thanks for the tip on the spare, i dono why i didnt think of it

 

I think a certain amount of "thump" is a result of the multi-beam design. My 97 SE does it over speed bumps. To be honest, I don't even notice it anymore.

Stang Guy, nice to see another "old iron" lover on the board. Welcome aboard.

 

Is that something like "Advanced modern horse buggy"?? Btw - all sprung beam suspensions must have multi-links to connect them to the car. The advanced part is the modified (antique) Panhard rod and Nissan Hype.

 

does this only happen on the SE's? I have a GLE and I have never experienced it. Since the two suspensions are different...

 

I do not think this is normal as I read your post and drove around for a few day looking for bumps and listening for thumps. None noticed.

 

it will not...